The present invention is directed to a carton for co-packaging two distinct food substances, in two distinct cavities. This is accomplished by means of a single blank of paperboard which is creased, folded and glued so as to form one major cavity and one minor cavity, said minor cavity being an integral discrete compartment.
At fast food restaurants and at take- out counters, french fries are often sold in paperboard cartons. Many people like to apply ketchup to french fries. If it is applied directly to the fries in the container, they will tend to become soggy. Alternatively, one can obtain a small separate container of ketchup, into which a french fly may be dipped immediately before it is eaten. But this latter gourmet preference has the disadvantage of requiring two separate containers. With the human limitation of two hands, there is one hand to hold the container of fries and one to move the fries from container to mouth. So a stable and convenient surface is required to support the ketchup. But, since fast food customers are often on the move, they want to carry the fries with them as they walk or ride. A solution to the problem is a container for the fries, which includes an integral, discrete compartment for the ketchup.
In Applicant""s earlier U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,930, it disclosed a carton which addressed the problem described above. It disclosed a container for french fries, which had an integral, discrete compartment for ketchup. But it had some disadvantages and inconveniences.
One such drawback results from the manner in which the flat bottom of the carton (illustrated in FIG. 3, 4 and 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,930) is formed. It has four bottom panels, which are intricately die cut and scored, so as to interlock when the carton is formed. The intricate die cutting adds substantially to the cost of manufacturing the carton. Also, the relative complexity of the four interlocking bottom panels make it subject to malfunction. It should be understood, that in the context of its use (e.g. fast food restaurant or carry out), the server takes a flat, folded carton and snaps it into open position, before filling its compartments with french fries and ketchup. This is necessarily done as swiftly and smoothly as possible. If the bottom panels do not immediately and properly interlock, if the server has to manually adjust or push the bottom panels into proper alignment, that is a major drawback.
An equally serious drawback, is that the bottom formed by the four interlocking bottom panels is not entirely flat and is relatively small in diameter. This makes it somewhat tippy. And the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the ketchup in its upper compartment is dense and heavy. So the carton is top heavy and easily tipped.
The present invention addresses these problems by providing a container which has a bottom comprised of a single panel, scored in the middle. The server, when forming the carton simply pushes up on the bottom panel and it snaps into shape. There is no complicated interlocking of panels. There is little or no possibility of malfunction. Furthermore the present invention provides a carton with a bottom that has a leg portion on each end of extended rectangular bottom, that arches up and away from the leg portions. It is a very stable bottom for the carton, therefore the carton cannot be easily tipped.
A further drawback to the carton disclosed in applicant""s earlier patent, is its configuration; its four wall panels extend upwardly from it relatively small rhomboid or square shaped bottom. It can contain only the smallest order of french fries. In the present invention the four wall panels extend upwardly from an elongated ovoidal bottom that has an area approximately twice that of carton disclosed in the earlier patent. Therefore, the volume of the container is twice as large, even though it is but slightly higher. Added height would increase tippiness.
To summarize, the principal advantages of the present invention are that it is less costly to produce (since it eliminates intricate die cuts on the bottom panels), it is less likely to malfunction when being snapped open by a user, it has a more stable bottom and is therefore less tippy, its upper discrete compartment is formed in such a manner that the volume of the container is greatly increased without substantial increase in height.